Champions League semi-final: Manchester City outclass PSG in first-leg
Manchester City outclassed Paris Saint-Germain in the first-leg of Champions League semi-final on Wednesday. The likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez helped City earn a 2-1 victory after PSG struck early in the match. Last year's runners-up PSG were down to 10 men as mid-fielder Idrissa Gueye picked up a red card in the 77th minute. Here are the records broken.
City dominated the possession initially, but PSG remained the more dangerous side. Marquinhos put PSG in front when he headed home Angel Di Maria's corner (15th minute). The visitors equalized in the 64th minute when Kevin De Bruyne made use of the corner by Oleksandr Zinchenko. City added another in seven minutes, with Mahrez acing the free-kick. This turned out to be the winner.
Marquinhos is only the third player in Champions League history to score in the quarter-final and semi-final in consecutive seasons, after Cristiano Ronaldo (2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14) and Antoine Griezmann (2015/16, 2016/17). The Brazilian has scored in both the quarter-final and semi-final in each of the last two campaigns. He has netted five goals in his last 12 Champions League appearances.
Manchester City have become the first English side to win six consecutive European Cup/UEFA Champions League matches in a single season since Leeds United (in 1969/70). Notably, PSG attempted just one shot in the second half against Manchester City, the fewest they have had in a single half in a UEFA Champions League match since April 2016.
De Bruyne is the fourth player to score in three consecutive Champions League matches against PSG, after Lionel Messi, Marcus Rashford (3 each), and Neymar (4). Mahrez has been directly involved in 20 goals in 26 Champions League starts (8 goals, 12 assists). Gueye is the first player to be sent off twice in a single Champions League campaign since Alvaro Arbeloa (2012/13).
